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Amber Township vs Ithaca

99 miles apart. The biggest differences: trails (12× in Amber Township) and street grid (8.3× in Ithaca).

A ×
Amber Township, MIOne of the healthiest townsMason County · 2,566 people
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Ithaca, MIHomes around $199KMichigan · 2,817 people
Swap order
Where each one shines

Two towns, two different strengths

What each town does better than most of its state (not better than each other). Tap one to see the page behind it.

Amber TownshipOne of the healthiest towns
Health68% of U.S. towns are healthieron CDC estimates SchoolsBetter than 71%of MI districts All about Amber Township →
IthacaHomes around $199K
Housing$199K typical home25% below the MI typical home Schools#243 for schools in MIof 493 towns Health71% of U.S. towns are healthieron CDC estimates All about Ithaca →
The biggest differences

Where they part ways

The rows below where the towns are furthest apart, beyond the Census margin of error. The full table is further down.

Trails12×
Amber Township has more miles of trail
Amber Township 2.4 miIthaca 0.2 mi
Street grid8.3×
Ithaca has the more walkable street grid
Ithaca 23.2Amber Township 2.8
Home values+72%
Homes cost more in Amber Township
Amber Township $228,700Ithaca $133,200
Rent+47%
Rent runs higher in Amber Township
Amber Township $1,203Ithaca $819
Typical home built33 yrs
Ithaca’s homes are older
Amber Township 1991Ithaca 1958
Work from home+8.4 pts
More people work from home in Amber Township
Amber Township 9.1%Ithaca 0.7%
★ What stands out · Life in each

Amber Township gets 39 more inches of snow a year

The weather, the land, the history and the people, row by row. None of it is a grade: more snow is a plus to a skier.

Seasons
Amber TownshipIthaca
Snow a year79″39″
January low16°F15°F
July high80°F82°F
Growing season (days)151d164d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)1st27th
Outdoors & history
Amber TownshipIthaca
Trails2 mi0 mi
Conserved land2.2%4.5%
Settled18671869
National Register places—2
Archive photos27
Famous people born here—7
Community
Amber TownshipIthaca
Library hours a week—43 hrs
Posts this month00
Neighbors joined10

A dot marks the most on each row. Climate: NOAA 1991–2020 normals at the nearest station. Hazard risk: FEMA National Risk Index, expected yearly damage vs U.S. towns.

Monthly cost

A typical home costs about the same each month

A typical home in each town, bought with 20% down at 6.3% for 30 years, plus property tax at the town’s own rate and insurance. Change the numbers to fit you.

Amber Township$1,390/mo
Typical home $229K (Census) · tax rate 1.00% · or rent about $1,203/mo · Housing →
Ithaca$1,290/mo
Typical home $199K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.48% · or rent about $819/mo · Housing →

The difference: $100 a month, about $1,200 a year, between Amber Township and Ithaca.

Estimates, not a quote: your price, rate, tax bill and insurance will differ. Tax rate = the Census median tax bill over the median home value.

Report cards

Amber Township places higher on 10 of 17 MI lists

Our letter grades for safety, schools and health, then every Michigan ranking list both towns are on. A grade is one measure; read the page behind it.

Schools
B+Amber TownshipBetter than 71% of districts in the state B+IthacaBetter than 72% of districts in the state
Health
CAmber TownshipHealthier than 32% of U.S. towns CIthacaHealthier than 29% of U.S. towns
10Amber Township
7Ithaca

Lists won, of 17 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Cheapest rentCost of living · 687 towns #497#107 Most walkableOutdoors · 723 towns #665#274 Lowest obesityHealth · 723 towns #602#260 Most remote workersWork · 714 towns #431#713 Shortest commuteGetting around · 723 towns #45#330 Most affordableCost of living · 723 towns #348#69 Most activeHealth · 723 towns #347#556 Lowest depressionHealth · 723 towns #233#439

Left end = #1 in Michigan. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of Amber Township’s rankings →

Where they are

99 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

Amber TownshipMason CountyIthacaMI
Amber Township ↔ Ithaca99 miles apart
Everything, side by side

What matters to you?

Pick a few. Those rows jump to the top and the best fit on each is marked. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.

Amber TownshipIthaca
People
Population 2,566Lowest 2,817Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -0.2%Highest MI: +2% -2%Lowest MI: +2%
Median age 42.5±4.8 6% above MI 42.5±10.6 6% above MI
Kids under 18 18.4%±3.9Highest MI: 21.2% 16.8%±4.6Lowest MI: 21.2%
Amber Township and Ithaca are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 20.2%±3.6Highest MI: 18.6% 15.3%±3.8Lowest MI: 18.6%
Amber Township and Ithaca are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 24.9%Lowest MI: 32.4% 26.3%Highest MI: 32.4%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 3%±1.8Lowest MI: 6.1% 7.8%±4.2Highest MI: 6.1%
Ithaca and Amber Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $70,515±$8kHighest 3% below MI $63,109±$5kLowest 13% below MI
Amber Township and Ithaca are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $228,700±$26kHighest about the MI average $133,200±$26kLowest 42% below MI
Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,203±$88Highest 7% above MI $819±$89Lowest 27% below MI
Property taxmedian, yearly $2,298Highest 21% below MI $1,975Lowest 32% below MI
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 31.4%±9.5Lowest MI: 50.4% 46.7%±18.4Highest MI: 50.4%
Ithaca and Amber Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 9%Lowest MI: 13.2% 16.8%Highest MI: 13.2%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 70.1%Lowest MI: 73.2% 72.3%Highest MI: 73.2%
Typical home builtmedian year 1991Highest 19 yrs newer than MI 1958Lowest 14 yrs older than MI
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 17 minLowest 30% below MI 24 minHighest about the MI average
Work from home 9.1%±3.5Highest MI: 13.5% 0.7%±0.8Lowest MI: 13.5%
Work in townworking residents 6.1%Lowest 19.1%Highest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 18.8 miHighest 18.3 miLowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.02Lowest 1.58Highest
Top workplaceoutside town Ludington (17%)Alma (10%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in IthacaFew work in Amber Township
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 2.2%Lowest 4.5%Highest
Trailsmapped miles 2.4 miHighest 0.2 miLowest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.1 miHighest 0.0 miLowest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 1Lowest 3Highest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 2.8Lowest 23.2Highest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading —#243 of 493 in MI
School district Mason County Central Schools · West Shore Educational Service DistrictIthaca Public Schools
High school in town Academy of Science Math and Technology Early College High ScIthaca High School
Students per teacherat that high school 50.0Highest 18.6Lowest
Michigan average“±” Census margin of errorACS 2020–2024
Deciding?

Ask the people who live there

The numbers stop at the town line. Neighbors can tell you about the commute at 7am, the schools, the winters and the feel of the place.

Amber Township neighborsTown Square →
T Weaver · 1w

Local Favorites in Amber

1 neighbor in Amber Township can answer.

Ithaca neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Ithaca’s Town Square.

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Bordering Amber Township

R
+ Compare
Riverton Township1,120 people · $186K homes
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Pere Marquette Township2,883 people · $297K homes
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Scottville1,474 people · $134K homes
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Victory Township1,434 people · $300K homes

Towns like Amber Township

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Whitehall3,024 people · $213K homes
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Watervliet Township3,055 people · $155K homes
R
+ Compare
Rockwood3,161 people · $189K homes
P
+ Compare
Plainwell3,763 people · $221K homes

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2010 & 2020 censuses, LEHD commute flows; Zillow Home Value Index; NCES Common Core of Data; FBI crime reporting; CDC PLACES; FEMA National Risk Index; NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020; USGS PAD-US and OpenStreetMap. “±” is the Census margin of error; differences inside it are never called. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. There is no overall score: which town is better depends on what matters to you.

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